A New Game
by JPalmerS
Summary: Set after the last season, the Teen Titans face an old threat who's brought in some new help. Story will contain romance between various pairing. These will be revealed as you read and mostly obvious. OC's will appear and disappear as I see fit.
1. Chapter 1

Mortal Author: Hello, this is JPalmerS.

All-Powerful Omniscient Editor: And this is his god, WistfulDread.

Author: Delusions of godhood aside, this is the first Teen Titans fic I have attempted and with luck won't be the last thing I write.

Editor: It's only a delusion if it can be proven false. Anywhoo, this is also my first stint as editor. My own form of community sentence.

Author: Oi...anyway. On to the warnings. Neither of us own the property rights to Teen Titans. We do this for our own enjoyment and don't get any money for it.

Editor: *Cough* Oh, yeah. Me neither. *Pockets his ill gotten gains*

Author: Oh you son of a - *Looks at the audience* Don't forget to leave criticism. *Gets the gun*

Editor: *Holding the clip* Remember, "WOW" and "MOAR" is reserved for those that will be roasted in the flames provided by other reviews.

/o/

The alarm had only gone off due to asingleunique security feature that, had it not just screwed him, he would take the time to appreciate. The skull masked thief chided that had he better estimated the system, perhaps he would not soon be found out. Taking the steel briefcase that held the equipment he needed, X moved toward the back exit of the facility, coming to a sudden halt once he saw the silhouette of five figures. The tone of his voice held both disdain and mocking cheerfulness, "Good to see I have some fans but sorry kids, no autographs tonight."

The group in question wasn'tamused, especially itsboy wonder. "Titans, go!" The challenge was issued and all the parties began the ritual dance.

Boy Wonder was the first to act, Bo Staff striking out with practiced ease. Unfortunately, the thief dodged and blocked with equal ease and Robin could just imagine X smirking under that mask all the while. "You can't keep this up X! Sooner or later, we'll catch you!"

X gripped the staff, competing in a minor tug-of-war with it before leaning in suddenly so that he would be nearly nose to nose with the hero. "It'll have to be later then. I got things to do." An outstretched leg and a roll were all that was needed to send the boy wonder flying back from him. Rolling to his feet, X grabbed the case only to be bombarded with star bolts from above, a cloud forming from the explosive qualities.

Starfire was waiting for the smoke to clear, looking around with glowing eyes, "Are we yet victorious?"

Her answer came in the shape of several X shaped shuriken that embedded in the ceiling above her only to explode and bring part of the roof down on the alien princess.

Red X didn't have time to wince in sympathy as he was once more under fire. Cyborg was taking careful aim, human eye showing his determination. The thief dodged each shot, keeping the brief case out of the range of fire, "Sure your warranty on that eye hasn't gone out, tin man?"

Cyborg smirked, "Nope, workin' fine. How 'bout yours?"

The eyes of Xs mask indicated confusion but was quickly replaced with something else as he was smashed from behind by a rather large green gorilla.

After sliding for what seemed like a few minutes, X ended up landing in the pile of rubble. Now, he'd complain if his head wasn't resting in a royal Tamaranian lap. Green eyes looked down to the skull mask while the thief proceeded to make himself comfortable, hands resting behind his head. "Always knew you had a soft spot for me, sweetie."

He tucked and rolled before her eye beams could do their damage. But, there was a new singe mark on his cape, and he noted a pair of holes in her skirt that shouldn't be there.

As the thief stood, he gave a low chuckle in his synthesized voice, "Careful, wouldn't want ya to give me anymore ideas."

The spinning back kick would have taken Xs head clean off had it not been for both the protective mask and his swift dodge. Boy Blunder was getting better, but he was also getting angrier.

X's synthesized voice chuckled again as he spoke, "Fun as it was to get her attention, I didn't ask for yours." He could hear the alien get ready to take him from behind but as her fist came in for the strike, X turned, shifting his stance and gripping her arm to use her momentum to send her flying into the boy blunder. "Guess I'll leave you two alone then."

X then moved quickly to get the case only to stop, looking around with wary glare. "Wait..." he counted off on his fingers only to find one finger still down, "...where's the witch?"

As if on cue, a pool of blackness flooded out from beneath the brief case. Rising from the depths of the shadows came Raven, her one hand taking the brief case and holding it close, her other hand resting on her hip. "Missing something...I mean, besides your own..." she looked the thief's stolen costume over, "...anything?"

There was a low chuckle from X, "Possession, fraction of the law, blah, blah, since when did any of that stop me?" His hand had risen to hurl an X at the dark sorceress. She readied for the ranged attack but the sudden lunge for the briefcase caught her off guard.

He gripped the handle, followed by bashing his shoulder into Raven's smaller figure. Had she been a civilian rather than a Titan, he'd probably have the case and be off, instead of rolling on the ground in a struggle over it.

In a contest of agility X doubted he'd ever admit to losing. When Raven gained the upper hand with a pin that had her straddling his legs, he might have considered losing for only a moment. She had one arm raised channeling the dark powers that were pinning X's own and both had a solid grip on the handle of the briefcase. A hint of triumph slunk into her raspy monotone, her eyes glowing in the shadows of her hood. "Maybe you should think of doing the smart thing for once and surrender now."

"Think again," was the growled response. The movement of his legs was the empath's only warning to the change that would occur. Lifting his legs, X snagged the cloak of the heroine just at the base of the neck, giving a sudden pull. Her concentration on the spell was broken the moment her breath seized and her body dropped. Red X capitalized easily and moved with her, shifting his legs from under her, to quickly to straddle her stomach, assisting in keeping the air from her lungs.

He lifted his weight only enough to allow her shallow breaths so as not to suffocate her, only then noticing her hood had come down.

Even stunned, the empath seemed to glare holes into Red X, her violet eyes showing her displeasure at the close proximity of the skull masked thief. "Get. Off!"

The low chuckle returned to his synthesized voice as he leaned in close to the dark girl, "With face like yours in a position like this, I think I could really enjoy the experience."

His next memory was that of lying in a pile of broken crates, looking up at the ceiling of the ware house as the steel briefcase came crashing into his face. The after image of four unblinking red eyes would haunt him for weeks to come. He coughed softly, "Maybe not."

Almost painfully he stood in the unstable wreckage with the steel case in hand, rubbing his head before making a quick dash to the main exit.

In his haste to get out with the goods, he neglected to watch for the green ram that slammed him into another group of crates. The changeling shifted back to human form laughing all the while, "Sorry, but I couldn't help butting in."

The laughter quickly died as a large X came from the debris and stuck Beast Boy to the ground. The green teen tried in vein to shift into various forms to break from the goop only getting more entangled in the process. "Awww DUDE! Now I know how I'm gonna go bald!"

Red X didn't give the younger Titan much attention as he tried to escape but was once more stopped when he saw the exit was blocked by Cyborg. His weapon was ready to fire in a moments notice, "Best give back what you stole X. You aren't Robin so I don't have a problem with hurtin' ya."

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual." X made to throw an attack but the larger teen was faster on the draw. Problem is that was what the thief counted on it. Instead of activating an attack, X disappeared only to reappear next to the new hole in the wall. The smirk could be heard in the man's voice as he looked to Cyborg, "Thanks for the new door." And out he went.

The large teen was rather dumbfounded as the thief left rather suddenly. Robin was already at the hole in the wall barking orders, "Cyborg! Starfire! Help Beast Boy. Raven, with me!" The cloak clad goth followed after the leader leaving the other two to get their friend free.

The two went through the alleys of the docks, the empath flying right behind the boy wonder. As they came to a T intersection, Robin pointed down the left then ran right. Raven watched him a moment before flying in the opposite direction of the leader.

At the next intersection Raven stopped and looked in each of the three directions. Her cloak settled around her, concealing her body as she focused her senses to find him. "Azarath Metrion Zin…" She never finished as the hand closed over her mouth and her hand pulled behind her back in a simple joint lock.

The synthesized voice chuckled in her ear, "You must be lonely. I give you one compliment and you're already chasing after me." With out hesitation he ran her into the wall, her free hand reaching out to brace against it so she wouldn't get hurt too badly by the impact. "Little tip, though I'm sure you get this often, get shorter magic words."

If looks could kill, X would be in the same level of Hell as her father. Her weight shifted a bit as she kept glaring, causing Xs masculinity sense to tingle. With a look down and a quick hop backwards the thief narrowly avoided getting a hit in a very sensitive place. The look he gave her was nearly as cold as her own. "Hey watch it! Some of us actually want to have a few little bastards running around!"

The young woman's scowl slowly turned to an evil smirk as she watched him, "You know, I hear Xinothium causes sterility, so you can't blame me if it happens."

His eyes widened a bit before looking to the belt in question. There was a pause before he realized, "Wait, that's not tr-". Red X found his body encased in black energy, keeping him in place before pinning him to the opposite wall.

The sorceress just watched him with a slight smirk on her face, hand outstretched and encased in black, her eyes glowing white. "Boys always lose sight of everything in protection of the dominant brain."

Raven reached up and tapped her brooch, her voice once more taking its neutral raspy tone, "Robin, I've got him." The boy wonders reply couldn't be more elated as it transmitted back, "Good work Raven. I'll be there shortly." With that she closed the com link and looked to Red X. "So what now smart guy?"

Red X glared at her for a moment before sighing, "Well where to start?" He actually seemed to consider the young gothic woman before him. "I don't regret taking this suit, where my life is going or even making a nuisance of myself when it comes to you hero-types. I have to admit, it's actually fun to play tag with the Kid too. Though let's be honest, and yes I can be honest once in a while." Suffice it to say, she didn't believe him. Without preamble he continued, "I did have a few things here I wanted to do before I moved on to other challenges."

Raven just watched him with a skeptical glare, wondering why Robin was taking his sweet time. She just shook her head, her mental voice telling volumes of her disdain for villains and their penitent for monologues. "And what could that be? Steal some priceless work of art? Get away with what ever you stole tonight? Or is it you wish you could've gotten to Starfire before Robin?" There was almost a hint of envy in her voice at the mention of the happy couple. That she entered her own monologue was never brought up.

The silence that followed felt deafening. Red X watched her, almost unsure what to say before speaking. "But, I don't like art. You haven't put me in jail yet. And I really don't want her, Iit's just to bait the Kid."

Raven watched him warily, waiting for him to speak and wondering where Robin was. Then her patience finally ended, "So what did you want?"

The smirk was evident in his voice, "I'm not yelling it to you across the alley. Come closer and I'll tell you." He looked down to the energy trapping him, "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

The empath seemed wary but decided to take her chances. She refocused her will to keep the spell in place before moving closer. She kept him against the wall as she moved to within a few feet of him, tilting her head toward him and impatiently intoned, "I'm waiting."

Red X leaned in a bit as best he could, considering his predicament. "Closer."

Raven scowled but moved closer, now able to speak softly with no else able to hear, her patience long gone, "What ever you want to say, say it quickly."

X looked into the depths of her violet eyes a moment, knowing she couldn't see his before leaning in to whisper softly, "What if all I wanted was a glimpse of some pretty girl who never smiles? To make her smile such a way that no one could ever duplicate it?"

Before Raven could even begin to process that statement and the emotion she could _feel_ from the thief at such short distance, she was startled by the sudden voice of her leader, "Raven! What's going on?"

The suddenness of her leader and the words of the thief were enough for her to drop both her guard and the spell. X landed clean on his feet, glancing at each of the two heroes. He didn't hesitate long before grabbing the case and with a knowing smirk in his voice he gave a two finger salute to Robin. "That's my cue."

With a sudden press of a button, the thief was gone, leaving two Titans with a lot of questions.

/o/

The screen playing the fiasco paused just as the thief vanished. With darkness and shadow all around, the screen provided the only source of light.

"I hope you understand why I'm showing you this."

The voice held authority like few others. It made it clear that there would be a correct answer only and anything less would have consequences.

"You want us to know their strengths before you let us have our fun, right?" A distinctly female voice replied with a rather musical quality. She sounded almost bored from the showing, but kept her voice respectful despite it.

"Indeed. I've had difficulties when dealing with this particular group of heroes and I don't want anything to go wrong."

A deep growling sound came from near the female voice's origin, but was soon silenced. The female spoke up again, taking on a sharper quality with each word. "I don't see there being a lot of problems so long as you make sure we know what to expect. I don't want to get into a fight just to find out later that I wasn't expected to win."

The man's silhouette was seen as he moved from his former position, his hands held behind his back in a relaxed manner. The chuckle he emitted would have seemed friendly if not for the undercurrent of malice. "My dear, the game was fun while it lasted but it's time to up the stakes. I don't expect you to lose." His face turned to look at the two Titans still shown on the terminal, "I expect you to obey."

The low, inhuman growl coming from the shadows showed it's opinion of that expectation before the screen went black.

/o/

Arthor: That's the first part. Next chapter should be out relatively soon.

Editor: Relative as in compared to the lifespan of a solar system.


	2. Chapter 2

Editor: Since that last update, 3 stars and 14 planets have ceased to be...

Author: LIAR! It was only 2 stars and 6 planets!

Editor: So I embellished. So sue... wait. NO.

Author: And that about sums up our disclaimer.

Chapter 2

All was quiet in Titans Tower. Peaceful and at rest.

"**Ki AAAAAH**!"

Or it would be if the leader were not hard at work trying to destroy the punching bag in the gym.

The sound could be heard even through the gym door, indicating just how upset the boy wonder was. Thunderous kicks and quick hand strikes accompanied each shout.

The door opened and closed without the masked hero even realizing it. He just wanted to get rid of his frustrations at being unable, once more, to catch that elusive thief. The thief who wore the suit that Robin designed and built.

The other occupant watched with worry in her emerald eyes. Her hands clasped before her as she spoke softly, "Robin...perhaps you have struck the bag of punching enough?"

Robin stopped his motions as he heard the Tamaranian princess. No matter how mad he was, he couldn't bring himself to deny her anything.

He sighed softly, shoulders slouching as he spoke in a defeated tone, "Maybe you're right."

As if to punctuate her point, the punching bag decided to fall from it's support and land on the floor, staying upright for only a moment before tilting over.

The leader let out a tired sigh before turning to leave only to be blocked by the alien. The years had given him a bit more height so he didn't have to look up into her worried eyes anymore. Looking down into them seemed to have a greater effect, however.

The young woman moved closer to her leader, her friend, and her beau. She reached out, arms circling his waist and laying her head against his shoulder, "I do not understand why you are angered so, but I am willing to give you the ear."

The masked hero couldn't help but smirk, "I think you mean...never mind." His arms just circled her shoulders, letting his frustration go as he tried to organize his thoughts before speaking.

* Insert wavy flashback FX here *

The team had just returned from the mission and had settled into positions around the kitchen area.

Starfire had settled on the counter top, scissors in hand, with Beast Boy leaning back between her legs, growling nonstop as goop was meticulously snipped from his precious hair.

Robin sat at the table, arms crossed and almost glaring at Raven who sat across the way. The empath seemed to ignore him as she nursed a cup of tea.

Cyborg rummaged through the fridge, obviously less irritated than the others, "So _other_ than the fact he got away I don't see why you're so mad Rob. I mean, we've stopped him plenty times before, though we sure have a hell of a time tryin' to catch him."

Robin just kept his eyes fixed on the young gothic woman before him, "We would have had him had _someone_ not let her guard down."

Even Beat Boys grumbling came to a halt with the accusing tone of their leaders voice. All eyes turned to Raven, her face stoic despite everyone's attention.

She set her cup down to lock her eyes with the masked leader. "I was caught off guard. It happens. You can't look me in the eye and tell me you've _never_ been." She picked up her cup, eyes closing so she could focus on the tea. She stopped the cup an inch from her lips, an eye opening to look to Robin, "And don't try to say you haven't because we all know that's not true."

She might as well have slapped him in the face for all the sting she put into her words. She normally didn't let her emotions slip out but she wasn't happy and it was as plain as the mask on Robin's face.

To the credit of the Boy Wonder, he didn't even flinch. His eyes just bore into Raven, "What did he say to you?"

The stoic empath just looked up at him from her tea, "What he said doesn't matter. It's in the past and that's where it will stay. It's pointless to dwell on it, especially if we want to focus on other matters. Red X isn't the only criminal out there."

The others just watched as the two went back and forth at each other. Starfire held a very worried look while both Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed more confused as the two most stable Titans snipped at each other.

Robin stood rather suddenly, teeth gritting together as he looked down to his team mate, his voice condemning. "Why did you _let_ him go?"

Her hands slammed on the table as she stood to glare daggers at her leader, "I did _not_ let him go!"

The toaster and microwave were engulfed in black energy, and then promptly exploded.

"Then _why_ is he walking around free when he should be in jail with the rest of the criminals?"

"You tell me. You're supposed to be the leader. Why are you standing here blaming me instead of sulking in front of your desk and news clippings?"

The two glared for several moments, violet eyes meeting the white of his mask. The empath let out a huff before turning to leave, her hood rising up to hide her face, "I'll be in my room."

The sound of the door opening and closing was emphasized by the silence that permeated the room.

It took several minutes before anyone spoke.

"Hey Rob! What's your deal man?" Cyborg was seeming to take over for the bad mood that Raven took with her, though his own confusion didn't diminish.

Robin glared at the door Raven had gone through, "She's hiding something." He turned to the others, "Red X said something to her and when I got there she let him go, and she won't say why." There was an edge of steel in his voice, eyes narrow and focused.

Beast Boy just seemed to shrug, "Dude, it's Raven. It's kinda what she does, ya know?"

Cyborg nodded slowly, "Yeah man. Just cool your heels and let Rae get her head straight. We all have our off days."

Robin pounded his fist onto the table his voice rising in anger and frustration, "She **HAD** him! She wasn't off! She had him right where we wanted him! He _said_ something to her and she let. _Him_. _**Go**_!"

Robin let out a guttural yell before turning his back on the rest of his team and heading to the gym to let out some steam.

This hadn't been the first time Red X had gotten away. It wasn't even that he escaped with the goods. The Titans had stopped him from getting what he wanted on several occasions recently but he still managed to elude them at every turn.

Robin was seething by the time he got to the gym. He was angry at himself for even making the suit. He was angry at Red X for taking the suit. And, to top it all off, he was mad at Raven for what ever happened that allowed Red X to get away.

*Insert wavy return from flashback FX here*

Robin didn't know how long he was held by Star, and had long since lost track of how long he had been in the gym. All he knew was that he was holding his love and she was helping ease the tension.

At last, deep green pools looked up into the face of her leader, speaking softly, "Robin, why are you upset with Friend Raven?"

The masked hero thought a moment, seeming to weigh his words before speaking, "She let a criminal free when she could have stopped him. We could have put an end to all of this."

Starfire let her head lean slightly to the side, "Did she wish for him to escape so that he could continue his wicked ways?"

Robin thought a moment, shaking his head slowly, "No, I don't believe she did but she-"

"Would Friend Raven release the Red X on purpose so as to ire you?"

"No, she's my friend. Why are yo-"

"Then why do you accuse her of such mean things when you say yourself she would not do so?"

Robin had no reply. He just stood there, seeming to think before he let our a long sigh, leaning down and pressing his forehead to her own, "I guess I'm pretty stupid for not realizing that, huh?"

The Tameranian Princess only smiled and leaned in, pressing her lips gently to his for a brief moment. "Not stupid, just...unwise in how you approached."

Robin nodded and stood a bit straighter, "Maybe I should go and apologies." He released her with a gentle smile, "Thanks Starfire." He walked quickly to the door then stopped as an afterthought occurred, "Um, Star, weren't you helping Beast Boy with his hair?"

The alien blinked a few times, "Oh, yes." She smiled brightly, "I asked if Friend Cyborg would assist him while I went to assist you. Why do you ask?"

A green blur ran through the halls as fast as his legs could carry, tears in his eyes as he screamed, "Keep that thing away from my hair!"

Not far behind the green teen, Cyborg was running at full tilt with his hand changed into a set of electric clippers buzzing happily. "Come on BB! Bald isn't such a bad style! Embrace it!"

The scream of dread filled the tower and night sky.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Raven levitated before her window, legs crossed and eyes closed. The problems of the day were slowly washing away as her mantra was repeated.

Judging by the look on her face, one would think she had let go of all the problems. In truth, there were two plaguing her mind.

Foremost in her mind was trying to deal with the Boy Blunders little temper tantrum. She could ignore his words but they hurt more than she let on. She had done everything in her power to be good in spite of her heritage. That her leader, one of her closest friends had practically called her a traitor hurt.

He was upset. She didn't blame him for that. After all he had done to try and get the suit back, to stop the thief from getting his prize, he came up short at nearly every turn.

His patience had worn thin and he lashed out at the only other person there.

She could forgive him, but only so long as he learned what he did wrong. She may have loved him like a brother but even she had her limits. And the ire of a demon, even half demon, was not something to mess with.

This left her with an all together different dilemma. Red X had not only grabbed, manhandled, insulted, teased, and _flirted_ with her, but he had confused and escaped her as well.

She could understand the first three parts of that. They were opponents. Her the hero, him the thief. That they would be in conflict was not what bothered her in the least.

His teasing her was not unheard of. He seemed to prefer teasing to pure insults when it came to Starfire and herself, even if the alien princess only understood maybe half of what he said.

What really got her, what confused her emotions and caused her the most frustration was that he flirted with her. Flirted. She couldn't understand it. Starfire had always been his primary target. Raven couldn't blame him that. Starfire was beautiful. Hell even she could admit that much but why was he suddenly interested in the recluse.

She tried to bury the confusion, preferring the think her way through this.

He had only started flirting with her when he saw her face and when he was on top of her. She had lost control and in the end that's what he most likely wanted. Red X always tried to take advantage of any weakness. Take control of any situation through manipulation. This was just like those times. He used her temper to get away.

But in the alley, he seemed so sincere in his words. She could feel it as was her blessing and her curse. The feelings of others tended to beat down on her, causing havoc with her emotions. She had come to control it with long hours of practice and meditation but she could still feel it if she allowed her focus to slip.

She could not wrap her mind around such sincerity from the likes of him.

She tried to dissuade her mind from thinking on such things. He was a selfish thief and more than likely a good liar.

Before she could try and think any further on it, there was a soft knock at the door. Her eyes slowly opened, looking askance at the door. "What is it?"

The harsh monotone would keep most anyone away.

"Raven, I'd like to talk to you about earlier." Robin wasn't anyone, and the apologetic tone of his voice touched her. Her legs descended 'til her feet touched the floor. Once she regained her balance she moved to the door, opening it enough to allow her head to be seen.

Robin stood there, eyes downcast with the tilt of his head. At the sound of the door opening he looked up into her eyes. He kicked a bit at the floor before speaking almost hesitantly. "Listen, Raven...I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I was out of line when I accused you of all that."

The dark empath looked into his masked eyes, seeming to look into his very soul. For all the young hero knew she was doing just that. After a long silence the door opened fully, allowing Raven to step out. Her voice still held little emotion but her eyes betrayed her. "It's alright Robin. No harm done."

The young man smiled but before he could speak the alarm sounded, followed by a rather panicked Beast Boy coming down the halls, "Robin! Raven! Come quick!" Without a look back he ran back to the main room. The two looked to each other then ran after the shifter.

Robin was followed quickly by Raven, the other Titans surrounding the screen. "What's all the commotion abo-" The words died on his lips as he looked to the screen. All five sets of eyes looked on in shock.

The voice from the screen's speakers held a refined quality to it, almost respectful. "Hello Titans. It's so good to see your smiling faces." Almost being the key term. "At least that's what I'd say. But, so far, I have never seen you smile." There was another pause and a smile could be heard in his voice, "Especially her."

Beast Boy was the first to break the silence. "**DUDE**! What do we have to do to get _rid_ of this guy?!"

Cyborgs organic and artificial eye nearly took on the same shade of red, "I'd recommend killing him but we saw how well that worked."

The two female Titans held their ground, glaring. Bright green eyes glowing in fury while the other pair began to grow red with malice.

Robin gritted his teeth as he looked to screen, eyes narrowed in unadulterated hatred. The name of the man dripping like venom from his mouth.

"Slade..."

Author: Cliff Hanger...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Locks himself in a bunker*

Editor: *Sneaking* Heh heh *Barricades the door* He'll be awhile for the next one.


	3. Chapter 3

Author: *Thumps on the metal door* Let me out of here damn it!

Editor: *Searching* Where is that damn key...Hey you _DID_ get something done in there, right?

Author: Oh for the love of...*Shuffling sound heard before some paper is put under the door* There! Now find the damn key!

Editor: *Reading* Hmmm, not bad. Ok folks, here's your long awaited chapter!

Author: ...HEY!

Chapter 3

The lone eye looked down on the team of heroes, seeming to evaluate them. It held neither contempt nor malice. Just curiosity.

The rich voice of the man on the screen sounded with a chuckle before speaking. "Well, as much fun as it is to have a staring contest with you, it's not why I decided to contact you. Actually, this is more of a fair warning."

Robins masked eyes narrowed to slits, "Fair warning for what?"

The cold eye seemed to almost sparkle with mischief, "Why my return of course. You didn't think I'd let you keep _my_ city all to yourselves, did you?"

Cyborg was the first to step up, his loud voice clear with unbridled hate, "Ain't **no one** taking Jump City! Especially some **psycho** like you!"

Beast Boy stepped up beside his friend and team mate, chest puffed out, "Yeah!"

The two female titans seemed to hover in the air, letting the boys talk. Both had their own reasons for their loathing of the masked man. Starefire wouldn't allow the villain to hurt _her_ Robin again, while Raven simply detested the man for all he had done to her friends, and never would forgive him for assisting her father in nearly destroying the world.

There was a barely audible chuckle from the masked man on the screen. "Such bravado! It's actually very refreshing. I look forward to our meeting again Titans. Try not to disappoint."

His image was suddenly cut off then replaced by the alarm sounding.

Robin turned suddenly to Cyborg, "Did we get a trace?"

The older hero shook his head slowly, "Sorry Rob. He jammed everything I had. Couldn't even tell ya if he was transmitting from in the city or not."

The boy wonder slammed his fists into the control panel with a yell of rage, "Damn him!"

Starfire moved to stand beside Robin, a gentle hand gripping his shoulder. His muscles only tensed then relaxed under the touch, his eyes seeming to focus more on the present than on his obsession and hatred.

Raven had moved to one of the secondary screens to find the source of the alarm. Her hands easily typed in the commands to bring up what she wanted, scanning over the relevant information before turning in her seat toward the group, "Seems Adonis got his suit back again."

There was a slight pause before the others let out a sigh. It seemed no matter how often they destroyed that power suit, Adonis always found a way to get it back.

"Alright Titans. GO!"

-A short time later-

The young man lay unconscious amongst a pile of scrap metal, microchips and rubble. Despite the fact he could be considered attractive, the length of drool pooling from his mouth took quite a bit away from the self-important image he always tried to exude.

Not far from said unconscious youth, a rather angry young woman stood, fists clenched at her side as she chanted her mantra between clenched teeth.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Breath. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." Breath.

It took several minutes of this before the gothic woman finally regained full control, allowing one of her friends to approach. The red head spoke in a soft, very understanding tone. "Friend Raven, are you now well?"

Raven turned to the alien princess and nodded, "Yes Starfire. I'm fine. You can tell Beast Boy he can stop hiding behind Cyborg now."

The aforementioned young men were standing a safe distance from the empath and the green one stepped out rather indignantly, "Hey! I wasn't hiding I was...well...I was checking to make sure Cyborg was alright! You know...check for loose wires or somethin'! Yeah that's it!"

Raven only rolled her eyes before turning to watch the police begin hauling the young man off. It was almost sad seeing the unconscious would be villain being dragged away but then, almost was the key word there.

The young woman crossed her arms, scowling in memory of the fight. It had been a typical fight. The team coming in and stopped Adonis from doing whatever he would have done, taunts, insults, attacks and defense. It was all so simple until Adonis had, like in fights before, pinned Raven down to keep her from using her powers. And all it took was one comment to end the fight. One simple, little, innocent (or maybe not so innocent) comment and Adonis was once more defeated.

She had been brooding over the matter when a gentle hand brought Raven abruptly from her memories to look into two emerald eyes.

"Friend Raven, what is troubling you?"

"Nothing's bothering me, Starfire."

"Then why is it that your eyes are turning as red as a glorbian's tongue?"

The gothic young woman blinked then brought her hood up quickly to hide both her eyes and blush. "It's nothing. I just don't like Adonis, is all."

Another hand soon found itself on Raven's shoulder, this one made from forged parts. She looked up to find herself looking at the worried expression of Cyborg, "Rae, you don't like a lot of people. But the way you're actin' righ' now even _I _can tell somethin's up. So what is it?"

She looked between the two friends, seeming to do all she could to hide from them inside her cloak before sighing rather loudly. Her monotone had that bare hint of dry humor, "You aren't going to let me get out of this without me telling you, huh?"

The two shaking their heads in complete unison was all she got, both giving slight smiles. Raven shook her head again before speaking softly, "He...Adonis...was coming on to me."

She would have let it drop right there with just that as her explanation but the looks she got from Starfire and Cyborg were confusion and anger respectfully. And that alone would inspire anyone to try and elaborate as two things you don't want are a confused Starfire asking odd questions or an angry Cyborg out for blood.

Raven hastened to add, "Look, I was just uncomfortable with how he was acting toward me and I dealt with him. It's been a bad day ever since X got away so could we just drop it?" She looked up to both her friends plaintively, "Please?"

Cyborg crossed his arms, seeming to consider the request from one of his closest friends. Raven didn't ask much. Be left alone, tea, be left alone, no one in her room unless they had her permission, being left alone and some food. She rarely asked Cyborg for much despite how often he told her if she needed anything all she need do was ask.

He gave the request a few more moments thought then let out a huge sigh, "Fine. I'll let it drop this time Rae. But you get some dude on ya you don't like, let me have a piece of him too, a'right?"

Raven let out a softer sigh and nodded, "Thanks Cyborg."

All that left was Starfire, seeming unsure on what was going on. "Please, friend Raven, I do not understand. I thought custom on your planet was that boys were to be forward and try to make the gestures of appreciation toward you?"

"Not _all_ the gestures they give are appreciated Star."

The tilt of the princess' head made it plain to Raven that she still didn't understand the premise. "Look, when we get back to the tower, I'll explain. For right now I feel the need for a shower and some tea to calm down."

/o/

"...to calm down." And then the screen went blank.

"You know, you have some really good surveillance equipment. If I didn't know you were such a professional I'd be worried about _my_ privacy."

The low chuckle that emitted from the darkness was evidence enough that at least one person was amused, though there was something ominous when said laughter halted abruptly. The lights grew in brightness but not enough to truly illuminate everything. Just enough to show two silhouettes, one with a distinct masculine and stern appearance; the other, a more...sultry form.

"My dear, what makes you think that I haven't already...hm...'invaded your privacy?"

There was a low growl that echoed in the darkness that wasn't quite human yet not quite bestial. The sultry shadow tilted her hips and with a smile in her musical voice, "Because he would have found them and gotten rid of them. You should know how good he is at detecting unwanted problems and...eliminating them." The word eliminating being almost purred out.

The man gave another chuckle before speaking, "Yes well. Have you learned what you need to?"

The other silhouette turned to look at where the screen had been lit and flipped on to the show the five heroes. "Yes. I think we have."

The room went black. And there was only the low growl of a predator finding the scent of it's prey.

Bunker: *EXPLODES!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Singed Author: *Looks around with a glare* Alright you little...where'd you go?

Rubble-Buried Editor: Crap...


	4. Chapter 4

Editor in stitches: I'll take this opportunity to point out that the author holds me, and by association you readers, in contempt.

Bandaged Author: And I'd like to take this opportunity to...oh hell he's kinda right. I hold some of you in contempt. I know I'm getting readers. Why aren't you reviewing dammit?!

Editor: I... I was just kidding. But wow, he's right. Reviews are the staple of a writer's diet. Do you people want him to starve? Think about that, read the story, then review.

There was a quote that always struck Red X as funny whenever he was at work on a heist. A job worth doing was a job worth doing well. He never could remember who said it or for what reason, but it always made the thief wonder if the original author had larceny in mind when they said it. They probably didn't, but it was still an enjoyable thought and he needed those as he hung upside down to get to the main access board for the security system.

There was a sense of pride, satisfaction, and enjoyment in his work. Pride in that he could do so well for himself and _still_ remain at large despite working in the home city of one of the best crime fighting teams in the country. Satisfaction in finally opening the casing, rewiring the system, and then dropping down to the floor without alarms and such poise to make many a gymnast envious. And then there was the enjoyment of a night's well earned pay.

He moved through the darkened room, the eyes of the mask filtering in what light there was so he needn't use the lights of the room. The room was sparse except for a few desks with turned off computer monitors sitting atop of them, various chairs and furniture about. The young thief wasn't so concerned with those as he was the large metal door on the far wall.

Red X examined the door carefully, noting that it required a key sequence on the number pad along with a thumb print. Pulling an X from his belt he placed it over the key pad/scanner and smiled under the mask as the system began to rewrite itself to allow him access. Days like this he greatly considered writing Robin a thank you card for the marvelous devices he had so meticulously added to the suit.

Once the system was reset, all it took was a turn of the handle, a little tug, and the door was open. Inside, the vault was filled floor to ceiling with locked cases, each requiring a specific key. After a few moments X found the one he needed and, using a simple set of lock picks, opened the lock box, pulled out the small container no bigger than a match box, and placed it securely in one of his belt pouches.

He then exited the vault, closed it, and set the system back to it's default setting before turning only to stop when he came upon something that he normally didn't. Before him were several individuals, each dressed exactly alike in black, skin tight semi armored suits, their faces masked in black with a red circle in the center.

Red X watched them with a wary eye, taking a single cautious step then stopping to watch as each individual moved with his step, each differently as if anticipating a separate outcome. The thief shook his head, speaking with the usual synthesized voice. "Look, either you want something or you're the worst mimes I've ever seen. So, lets settle this quickly. I have better things to do."

One of the individuals cocked it's head then slowly straightened. The front of the face then unhinged, swinging open to reveal a screen with a small speaker beneath. After a moment of static another face showed up. This one with a black and red metal mask and one eye. "Very well. You have something I want. You will give it to these drones or they will take it from you by force." The voice was cultured and even, never betraying anything but a simple business attitude.

Red X blinked.

Then he blinked again before he straightened up and chuckled softly. "And here I thought I'd seen everything. Alright, let me lay down the ground rules. You want me to give you something I've stolen then you have to pay for it like everyone else. So do me a favor and take a number 'cause I have other clients to deal with."

The man in the screen slowly shook his head, "Tsk, tsk, and here I thought we could be civil. Very well." He pushed a button off screen before the mask was replaced on the drone. With out a moments hesitation they jumped at the thief.

The professional thief had already seen this coming and though no one could see it, was smiling like an idiot at the predictability of it all. His hands shot out and launched several X's at the drones, removing a few heads in the process before ducking and rolling under another desk to avoid one of the drones he'd missed who decided that he would look better as a stain on the carpet. Judging by the hole in the floor, they meant business.

A thought occurred to the thief as he maneuvered around the various drones, ducking out of reach, kicking others further out of reach and finally merging two heads into one pile of junk. _Yeah, need to send the other Titans a thank you card for all the practice they've given me at this._

The drones were all around. With each one that he removed it almost seemed like two more would immediately take the former's place. Every trick was needed to take care of the various drones as Red X made his way to the exit. It was almost like a dance. Two steps, duck a punch, use a thrown X to remove an arm, back step, punch back, repeat.

Granted the rhythm changed now and again but it didn't keep the cocky thief from humming a little tune as he danced with the predictable drones. "Fun as this is fellas...," he moved to the side with a hand on a door knob and grinned under the mask, "...it's time for me to leave. Bye." And he was gone.

Or, at least he thought he escaped into the emergency stairway. Looking around, there was only darkness. Not low light or lack of it in a vented building. No. This was true darkness. An absolute absence of all light that suffocated the mind and body.

An absence of heat came with this void, and it chilled Red X to the core. His eyes darted around, seeking an escape. A light, a sign, anything. His panic began to build when he heard...no, felt something moving in the black.

He turned, one of his offensive X weapons in hand, ready to take down whoever set this trap. The skull mask hid the face of the young man's horror as four crimson eyes stared into his soul, seeking out the weakness in his being before a maw opened to devour him.

/o/

A hand shot up as the blanket was thrown away. The man sat up, his breath coming to him in gasps as the images stuck in his mind's eye. Eyes shifted to look around the room, seeking out any threats or dangers as the young man tried to bring his breathing back under control.

The images were slowly fading, and his mind began to process the room. Spartan was a good word. In fact it was a very apt word for the small room with a dresser at one wall, a door leading to a bathroom, another leading out to a main sitting room and him sitting on a futon.

Yep. Spartan was _very_ apt.

The figure was shrouded in the darkness of the room and seemed to wear it like a second skin. Slowly he moved from the futon to the dresser, seeming to take his time as if making sure all his joints and limbs were still in their proper place. Opening a drawer he pulled something inside to allow a hidden door in the wall to slide open.

Soft light began to illuminate the room but it now only allowed the figure to appear as a silhouette. It was enough to tell he worked out and was perhaps in the best shape of his life. The young man reached into the hidden compartment to pull out a belt and check the contents, sighing in relief at finding the matchbox sized item still safe in his keeping.

With idle movements he shifted the small box around in his hand, adjusting it's weight and feeling out the how it moved as he worked it in the palm of his hand. Shaking his head, the young man placed the small item back in the belt then the belt back on the hook, next to the white skull mask with the signature X beside.

X gave a low chuckle then closed the door before turning to the shower. Days like this he needed something to get the images out of his head.

A week. Almost two since last he dealt with the Titans.

Despite all that time he still had the occasional dream where that witch did....something to him. It was never the same thing twice and he could never remember all the details but it was always horrible and always, without fail, foreshadowed by those eyes.

He shuddered at the image just before he turned the hot water faucet all the way up along with the cold at half.

Yeah, those eyes always made him feel...strange. Like they saw past...no, not past. Through him. Deep into his soul.

And he hated it.

No one should be able to get that close, to see people that well and know so much about them just from a look. But those eyes showed X that no matter what _he_ thought eyes should or should not do, someone obviously thought otherwise.

The thief shuddered again as he thought about it before shutting off the water and moving to dry off. He'd been thinking about it and her too much.

That stopped X for a moment as he dried himself off. It and her. He chuckled with another shake of his head. It was getting easier to try and disassociate the problem of the dream and the thought that she could cause such horrible things.

Granted the little witch was pretty powerful but even X had trouble thinking she could purposefully cause him to have nightmares just for making one lousy comment. The young man shook his head again, still smiling as he moved to make a call to his client. He was rather satisfied with that conclusion. Scary as she could be, no one could be that bad and still be considered a hero.

Of course, if he heard it from the perspective of one green shape changer, Red X might think differently, but that was another story.

/o/

Inside a dark room, a figure sat brooding over a problem as fingers flew over a keyboard. Images and words shifted and scrolled by on the screen, the only source of light in the confining darkness.

He thought better in this atmosphere. It was familiar. A safety zone that he knew he could trust and fall back on when he needed to think. Needed to figure something out.

The screen shifted as his fingers worked. There were no more letters visible on the keyboard he'd used it so often. His body knew where every key was with out needing a reminder. So he didn't change it. Why fix what doesn't need repair.

His typing stopped as something new appeared.

The figure leaned in closer, blinking in the dim light as he examined the new data.

Once more the fingers were a blur. Bringing up new information and recent updates on old and current data. The screen was as much a blur as the young mans fingers as he tried to pinpoint what he needed. There was an energy about him. Like a predator, caged with a scent that it wanted and needed to track.

The typing came to a slow stop as an image dominated the screen. The image was a crime scene photo.

An open vault. Inside one could see that nothing was disturbed except a single lock box. A smaller image had magnified the box to show it's number and another window gave information on the owner, his occupation, and what he dealt in.

A slow, wicked smile grew on the masked face of the Titan leader.

"Got you now."

Author: See that! Another Cliffhanger! Hope you're proud of yourselves!

Editor: Dietary supplement, reader misery.

Author: ...where'd I put that mallet?


End file.
